Investigators even questioned one person who showed up at both scenes but has since been ruled out as a suspect.

Flames tore through a century-old building in June, just blocks from the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

More than 100 firefighters, half the city force on duty at the time, battled the five-alarm blaze for hours.

Then, a short time later in Oak Creek, fire broke out in the garage of a home owned by a family member of the owner the burning Milwaukee building.

Just-released court documents show investigators almost immediately believed the fires to be arson.

They also show police checked the cellphone photos of an Oak Creek man who they said witnessed both fires and "possessed four photographs of two separate fire scenes that occurred within hours of each other."

"I saw ambulances passing by. I went to see and check it out. And because I took a picture of it, I was accused as one of the suspects," witness Tariq Shamali said.

Shamali told WISN 12 News he had a connection to both locations, and it was coincidence that he was at the scenes.

Oak Creek police have confirmed that and told WISN 12 News that Shamali is not a suspect.

"They found photos of both fires, the one on Vliet Street as well as the fire at the home in Oak Creek on your phone," WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott said.

"Yes, that's correct. I showed them the pictures. It wasn't like they were looking for something. I showed them the pictures," Shamali said.

"How did you end up with pictures of two fires that were happening at almost the same time?" Wainscott asked.

"One is (that) basically I'm related to the owner of the store that was burned down, and the other is a neighbor," Shamali said.

The records also show police seized, from the burnt garage, a freezer which contained solvents and may have been the spot where that fire started, but police said their investigation has also ruled out the home's owner as a suspect.

For now, the mystery into exactly what caused these fires continues.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office told WISN 12 News that the investigations into both fires remain open and under review.

But other than the family connection of the building owners, police said they consider the investigations completely separate. One police official called it a "crazy coincidence."